Suspect in 1982 killing may escape trial

A Matagorda County man charged with murder in 1982 for his mother's fatal shooting has yet to go to trial in the case, an astonishing delay that could mean the suspect never sees the inside of a courtroom.

District Attorney Steven Reis did not return calls about the case, but released a letter to the Houston Chronicle that he sent to that county's sheriff. In the letter, Reis said he plans to ask a new grand jury to re-indict Gary Wayne Corporon "to remedy any defects or impediments to trial."

He wrote that the delay "does not appear to have been created by any law enforcement agency." He also said he has requested additional investigation into "the improprieties which appear to have caused a 31-year delay in prosecuting this case to conclusion."

Because prosecutors are responsible for bringing suspects to trial, courts have ruled that decades of delay make going to trial fundamentally unfair.

"He's got a great case for a 'speedy trial' dismissal," said Geoffrey Corn, a professor at South Texas College of Law. "If I were a judge looking at this, I would say 30 years is just too long. We can't have confidence that people will remember things properly or that evidence that should have been available is available."

May help with case

The circumstances surrounding 58-year-old Corporon's freedom came under scrutiny after legendary former Harris County prosecutor Kelly Siegler started investigating for a reality show she is filming about cold cases.

The prosecutor, who was raised in Matagorda County, said she has been sworn in as an assistant district attorney in that county and may provide counsel about the delay. She would not comment on Corporon's case or the reasons the case did not go to trial.

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Corporon, 58, a former resident of the Gulf Coast county about 90 miles southwest of Houston, could not be reached for comment.

After being arrested in 1982, he was freed on $100,000 bail and apparently now works off-shore in Louisiana, said Clarence Walker. Walker writes true-crime stories for online publications and also has been investigating the case.

He said he is also suspicious about the reasons behind the delay, but is still investigating.

Authorities this week gave different accounts of the status of the case.

Nubbin Chamblee, a former sheriff's detective who worked the case in 1982, said he was told that Corporon was not indicted. He was told the grand jury "passed" the case in an effort to wait for more information, then nothing happened.

Chamblee said he was surprised to learn about the indictment three weeks ago. He declined to comment on the miscommunication that led to the delay.

Indictment questions

District Clerk Becky Denn said there was no record of Corporon's indictment.

Matagorda County Sheriff Douglas "Skipper" Osborne declined to answer questions about Corporon because it is a pending case.

Osborne said little except that Corporon is accused of shooting his mother, Charlene Corporon, in 1982. He was indicted for murder on Sept. 20, 1982.

Neither Sam Hurta, who was the sheriff in the early 1980s nor former district attorney Jack Salyer could be reached for comment.

Cases dismissed

In Houston, other murder cases have been dismissed after missteps by law enforcement officials caused years of delays.

In 2011, a Harris County judge threw out a 41-year-old murder charge after 76-year-old Mary Ann Rivera was extradited from Florida where she spent decades living under her real name as a waitress.

Two years before that, 22-year-old murder charges against Tho Minh Quach were tossed. His attorneys showed that he moved to Boston and continually made court dates until officials failed to notify him about his trial date. After he missed his trial, authorities did not seek him out for two decades.